We have heard from some patients about whether doing a virtual telehealth consultation is worth doing. While our offices’ safety protocols meet, and in many instances exceed, all local and federal safety regulations, we understand that everyone’s comfort level is a little different at this point in time. We also know that due to travel restrictions in different states, coming into the office is not an option for all patients. With that said, for patients that are unable to or do not feel comfortable coming in for an in-office consultation, we would strongly recommend a virtual telehealth consultation for the following reasons.
Most types of hair loss are progressive and will continue to get worse without treatment.
First and foremost, many types of hair loss, including androgenic alopecia (Female Pattern Hair Loss), which is the most common type of hair loss are progressive. That means that the hair loss will continue to get worse without proper evaluation and treatment.
Preventing hair loss is easier than re-growing what was lost.
Although we see many women who have already experienced quite a bit of loss and have successfully treated them, the importance of treating hair loss early is key. It’s true that once the scalp is visible, up to 50% of your hair density has already been lost. As more and more hairs become “affected” they eventually go into hibernation, so to speak. In this dormant state, it is more difficult to fully restore a hair. The key is to start treatments early (before a significant amount of loss has already occurred) and nip hair loss in the bud.
A lot can be accomplished in a virtual telehealth consultation.
Back in the Spring when we started offering virtual consultations, our staff was honestly hesitant about them. There was concern that we would miss something in our evaluation of the patient, however, we quickly realized that we are able to do a very thorough evaluation and get patients started on some sort of treatment that they would otherwise be holding off. When these patients came in later for in-person follow-ups, we were very happy that they were able to effectively start treatments many months earlier than if they had not done the virtual visit.
There are many great at-home treatment options now available.
Thankfully, at home treatment options have come a long way and there are many clinically proven options that patients can start in the comfort of their home. From low level laser therapy (LLLT) to supplements to topical micro-needling with growth factors, our staff will be able to customize an effective home treatment plan that you will be able to start immediately. While many patients do take advantage of our in-office treatments, many of our patients only utilize at home treatments and with great success.
We understand that this has been a difficult year that has only gotten more difficult. We also know that there are many things we have had to put off, but treating your hair loss does not need to be one of them.
If you are interested in scheduling an in-person or virtual consultation do not hesitate to reach out to our office today.
